Call for book chapter contribution
Collective book: Working titles:
Just Socio-Ecological Transformation from an African perspective
About the project:
This project is about editing a book that aims to shed light on the intersectionality of climate, social, and gender issues in Africa and the entanglement of the relationship between the Global North and South that prevents the realization of a just socio-ecological transformation in Africa. Through the lens of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), Degrowth, and Decolonial Feminism, it aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current challenges faced by African nations in the context of the climate crisis and will propose a framework for a just socio-ecological transformation for Africa that empower Africans and advocate for a sovereign development based on inclusive policies that do not reproduce race, gender oppression and patterns of domination.
The Climate Crisis and the Greenwashing is Overwhelming Africa:
The climate change caused by human activities and its threatening impact on life on earth is real and undeniable. Humanity has to “limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”[1] as required by scientists. Despite the IPCC warnings of the unprecedented scale of the challenge required for humanity, climate change is happening far quicker than predicted. The IPCC’s 2018 report indicates that the only way to achieve climate goals is to reduce global energy use by 40% by 2050,[2] The 2023 report indicates that ever since “Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions”.[3] It should be noted that this increase in GHG emissions is directly linked to energy use. Actually, in 2023, the energy sector accounted for more than three-quarters of total GHG emissions globally.[4] Hence, the more energy we use, the more GHG emissions we produce, the more the temperature increases.
This is why Humanity is confronted with an urgent imperative to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and to accelerate the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources, to ensure cleaner and more sustainable energy utilization.
In the meanwhile, the capitalist order is trying to maintain the status quo by greenwashing the growth. The international institutions are all advocating for the possibility of achieving a complete transition to 100% renewable energy alongside economic expansion as a solution to mitigate these emissions. But even the “100% renewable energy use” will remain insufficient in addressing broader ecological degradation. The very act of this decarbonization will require the realization of clean energy infrastructure (that will facilitate the use of renewable energy) which, in turn, will need significant material extraction, predominantly from the Global South. In Africa, one of the best continents for satisfying material needs, this extraction will involve more exploitation of labor, resource plunder, and environmental destruction, which have historically and continue to disproportionately benefit the Global North, and lock the continent in a vicious cycle of extractivism and dispossession. The African population is already struggling against the destruction and dispossession of land and territories in the name of the green transition: From the mining of rare earth metals to destructive green energy projects like hydro dams, massive wind farms, and biofuel plantations, to the establishment of sterile “conservation zones” that exclude Indigenous and traditional users of land and sea. This green transition is deepening the existing marginalization and continuing the centuries-old trends of the extractive economy.[5]
This situation is further exacerbated by the legacy of decades-long neoliberal policies orchestrated mainly by the 70’s IMF and WB structural adjustment plans and the 90’s forced globalization. These neoliberal policies, continuing until today, streamlined the State’s roles[6], and resulted in inadequate essential infrastructure, deteriorated basic public services, (such as education, transportation, and healthcare), and threatened food and energy sovereignty. Consequently, this has fueled the expansion of urban-rural disparities, and the informal economy, with inadequate social safety nets, leaving Africans particularly women even more vulnerable. Low-wage female labor dominates entire sectors of the economy, from agriculture to low-value-added industries, with women often confined to arduous work. Additionally, they bear the burden of endless care work and unpaid, unrecognized labor that enables capitalist accumulation. This systematic exploitation of women, rooted in colonial dynamics of power and extraction, perpetuates gender injustices while maintaining neocolonial structures that benefit the Global North.
Therefore, any “energy transition” predicated on continuous growth, and replicating the same extractivist patterns, will ultimately exacerbate the ecologically unequal exchange and unequal distribution of environmental burdens and perpetuate massive global, racialized, and gendered inequalities, rooted in the history of capitalism and imperialism.
The need for a socio-ecological transformation: can MMT and Degrowth play a significant role for Africans?
Among progressive proposals in the global North, Degrowth, and MMT have gained increasing attention, sparking vigorous debates between proponents of a Green New Deal approach centered on “Green Growth” and those advocating for Degrowth principles. The debate around the need to expand public services, shorten the working week, and introduce a basic income, and a job guarantee to reduce inequalities is more than relevant; however, it focuses mainly on high-income countries where productive capacity is well in excess compared to countries in the Global South. This is even less evident for African countries which are food and energy-dependent[7], and where the possibilities for sovereign development are compounded by their peripheral status in the monetary hierarchy. In addition, applying Degrowth without considering regional disparities, within the African continent predominantly composed of low-income countries where the basic needs of marginalized populations are to be prioritized, may be considered senseless. If applied as it is proposed, the Degrowth policies can make it impossible to satisfy the basic needs of historically and continually marginalized African countries. Yet, if conditions for sovereign reparative development for Africa are met, Degrowth principles can serve as a global path to reach sustainability: this means that African countries should reevaluate their development strategies to prioritize sustainability, well-being, and social and gender justice over GDP, over labour-devalued export-oriented growth.
On the other hand, to make African countries able to finance those new reparative development policies, the lens of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) can be very helpful. The MMT analyses the setup of modern monetary systems to show how States that issue their currencies are not constrained by a financial budget or by their tax revenue. It also demystifies the fact that the large state budget deficits do not, in itself, create macroeconomic problems. By providing a solid understanding of modern monetary systems, MMT analysis empowers us to design strategies for financing Africa’s transformation based on locally produced resources. Dispelling the myth of financial constraints, MMT opens the door to a new conversation about financial resource scarcity in Africa. In essence, monetarily and economically sovereign countries can achieve greater fiscal space to invest strategically in key sectors, redirect subsidies toward their populations’ needs, and support initiatives like public transportation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem restoration. While MMT is not a theory as such, it helps to understand the spectrum of sovereignty, and the trap of foreign-denominated debt. But most importantly, a more holistic understanding of the “debt system” as a manifestation of the unequal ecological exchange between the North and the South is fundamental to being able to design counterstrategies[8].
Questions to be answered in this book
This edited book aims to challenge the limitations of current mainstream approaches to development in Africa. But also goes beyond simply reviving post-independence development models that are supposedly overlooked by “financial constraints”, or reproduce the same path for resource-based extractivist development, Instead, the book should propose a fresh framework that prioritizes both environmental sustainability and social and gender justice.
The book will be organized around three key themes. Each author will contribute their expertise and explore these themes in detail, proposing solutions and addressing critical issues.
Setting the stage: Climate crisis in Africa, and false solutions
- How legacies of imperialism and the ongoing current economic dependencies heighten Africa’s vulnerability to climate change. How these factors limit the continent’s adaptive capacity and exacerbate the impacts of climate change. Which constraints are faced by Africa (resource/or capital/financial constraints? Imperial power structures, international monetary and financial architecture, technological barriers, etc.)
- Despite Africa’s historically low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, how is Africa already experiencing the real impacts of climate change? Resulting in biodiversity loss, population displacement, food insecurity, and water scarcity. How these impacts hinder Africa’s socio-economic development.
- Why a green transition is particularly challenging for Africa? Rather than solely focusing on the “Net-Zero” debate, critically examine potentially inappropriate “one-size-fits-all” solutions promoted by the north, such as the circular economy, and green growth initiatives, (critical mineral /water intensive green hydrogen extractivism, Africa carbon market initiative, etc.) Why these solutions cannot genuinely address Africa’s needs and realities.
Can MMT and Degrowth be a solution for African countries? How to use that lens to propose sustainable and sovereign development policies for Africa
- How can Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and Degrowth principles offer viable solutions for African nations?
- How can these northern-centric concepts be adapted and integrated to address the specific challenges and constraints faced by African countries? What policies and strategies can be derived from MMT and Degrowth to promote sustainable and sovereign reparative development in Africa? How can we promote more equitable resource allocation while minimizing environmental impact? Emphasizing relocalization of economies and support for small-scale enterprises, farmers, and communities. Protecting/ Commonizing natural resources and ecosystems while ensuring resilience to climate change and environmental degradation.
- In confronting current and future climatic challenges, how can adaptation to climate realities be managed effectively under these concepts?
Proposal of a framework for a just social-economic-ecological and feminist transformation from an African perspective
- What policy measures and economic strategies are essential for achieving a just social-economic-ecological and feminist transformation in Africa? How can Africa’s reparative development shift from export-oriented industrialization and uneven global value regime, to avoid environmental degradation and cheap labor expansion?
- How can local knowledge and solutions be emphasized to address climate and social justice issues effectively? to implement just gender policies? Valuing women’s work and social reproduction? (What policies can ensure better pay, reduced work time, and recognition of invisible work)How can social relations with land and the environment be restored? How can digital transformation help to reach these goals?
- Considering security challenges and geopolitical fragility, how can strategies be devised for survival and defense without relying on utopian ideals? Which alliances should be built, to counter climate imperialism? Which collaborations and partnerships between African/Global South nations should be forged to advance a sustainable and just future?
Chapter’s formats:
The Book will contain a list of between eight to ten chapters, that imagine strategies informed by MMT- Degrowth- African Decolonial feminism in academic writing, however, easy to understand with policy-oriented recommendations. The critical information shall be referenced. The chapters should address a set of policy options. Country-specific case studies are accepted.
Authors:
The chapters should be written by experts, researchers, young scholars, and activists from multidisciplinary backgrounds (economic, feminist, and ecological backgrounds). Particularly women’s contribution is encouraged, and regions and backgrounds shall be among the criteria to select the authors. Chapters written by global North contributors should focus on the African perspective.
Format of the Book:
Book in soft cover, with Eight to ten chapters;
Each chapter should be max. 5000 -8000 words
Layout/Design: size; maps, graphics, and illustration specifications will be notified according to the publisher’s requirements
The publication will be made available in English and Arabic, French, and Swahili (depending on resources’ availability).
Target group or potential readers of the publication: Scholars, Public policymakers, interested public, organizations, and movements linked to just transition issues, research organizations, and think tanks
Copyright:
This publication shall be published with an academic publisher, chapters will be peer-reviewed by a scientific committee, and we will try to make the final publication accessible under open-access
The contract with the authors includes:
– Submission of a short synopsis of the chapter (Until 10 July 2024).
– Submission of the draft chapter for comments/review (Until 30 October 2024).
– Participation in a workshop In Tunis (In-person / or online ) to discuss the chapters (Beginning of November).
– Incorporation of the comments and submission of the final chapter (including the submission of data that can be used to prepare graphs as well as high-resolution pictures that can also be used for layout design purposes (December 2024).
– Incorporating any changes as highlighted by the copy editor before publication (January 2025).
– Support by authors to disseminate the publication /participation in the dissemination webinar or conference as a speaker /moderator or facilitator (2025 to be determined)
Other conditions:
Please note that fieldwork expenses cannot be covered.
In appreciation of your contribution, a lump sum honorarium will be paid to all contributors (authors and reviewers) upon submission of the final chapter or commented chapters. This serves as a token of gratitude for the time and effort dedicated to this project.
Local taxes will be deducted from the honorarium per compliance regulations.
Editors:
Maha Ben Gadha and Imen Louati
maha.bengadha@rosalux.org and imen.louati@rosalux.org
[1] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/
[2] IPCC 2018
[3] IPCC 2023
[4] Greenhouse Emission from energy, Data base documentation. International Energy Agency. 2023 Edition.
[5] TNI (2020) Just Transition: How environmental justice organizations and trade unions are coming together for social and environmental transformation
[6] Mkandawire, Thandika. “Thinking about developmental states in Africa.” Cambridge journal of economics 25.3 (2001): 289-314.
[7] Christopher Olk, Colleen Schneider, Jason Hickel (2023) How to pay for saving the world: Modern Monetary Theory for a degrowth transition, Ecological Economics, Volume 214.
[8] Ndongo Samba Sylla (2023). “Imperialism and Global South’s Debt: Insights From Modern Monetary Theory, Ecological Economics, and Dependency Theory,” Research in Political Economy, in: Imperialism and the Political Economy of Global South’s Debt, volume 38, pages 193-222, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.